OIC flays Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa, worshippers

Palestinian protesters hurl stones toward Israeli troops during clashes at a protest outside the Ofer military prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Oct. 21, 2014, in solidarity with demonstrators at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have condemned the continued attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and worshippers by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers, SPA said.

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting, Saudi envoy at the UN Abdullah Yahya Al-Malami, speaking on behalf of the OIC, said these acts are considered a flagrant violation of the international law and UN resolutions. He said the meeting is of particular importance as it came following the recent inhumane Israeli military aggression on Gazans.

During the 51-day aggression, the Israeli war machine took lives, burned facilities and deliberately targeted civilians including children, women and the elderly leaving over 2,800 dead, injuring 11,100 and destroying 10,620 buildings, the envoy said.

In addition to the above, Israel also attacked UN institutions. He said that the violations constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity the memory of which would not fade for generations.

The OIC voices support and solidarity to the Gaza population and the Palestinian people in general and strongly condemns Israeli brutal campaigns in the Palestinian occupied territories including the Holy Quds, he said.

Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian lands, illegal settlement and expulsion of the indigenous population of the Palestinian people is clear evidence of ethnic cleansing and comes to impede the two-state solution and denial of the Palestinian people’s rights.

The OIC member countries stressed that the international community, notably the Security Council, bear the responsibility of preserving global peace and security and take all necessary measures to put an end to the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. They also called on the UN to ensure that Israel adheres to the international resolutions.

The OIC member countries, further welcomed decisions made by Sweden and Britain to recognize the Palestinian state and called on other countries to follow suit, he noted.

Commenting on Syria, Al-Malami said that the OIC member countries are deeply concerned over the escalation of acts of destruction, violence, murder and heinous crimes committed against the Syrian people and accompanying serious humanitarian situation plus the failure in the application of the UN Security Council resolutions 2139 and 2165 due to the intransigence of the Syrian regime.